Weather tracker: Cyclone Hayley brings intense wind and rain to Australia

Elsewhere, area of low pressure off Iberian peninsula brings lashings of heavy rainfall to southern Portugal and SpainAfter a recent heatwave affected large parts of Australia before Christmas, Cyclone Hayley made landfall along the north-west coast on Tuesday night. Hayley formed on 28 December in the southern Indian Ocean and steadily intensified on a path south towards the north coast of Western Australia.The system became a category 2 storm at its peak on Wednesday with sustained winds of 105mph. After some weakening, Hayley crossed the Dampier peninsula near the town of Lombadina, still bringing intense winds and heavy rainfall. Hayley prompted a series of weather warnings from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology noting the potential for flash flooding and damage to property. Continue reading…